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With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, difficult relationships, or wondering how your faith connects to your mental health? With You in the Weeds is a faith-based mental health podcast hosted by a team of licensed counselors and pastors who weekly help real people navigate the hardships of life.

Co-hosts John Tinnin (MDiv, MFT), Lynn Roush (LPC), Shay Roush (MDiv), and Austin Conner (MDiv, PLPC) bring both clinical expertise and pastoral wisdom to honest, practical conversations about the issues you’re actually facing: anxiety, trauma, marriage, parenting, forgiveness, grief, singleness, narcissism, addiction, stress, and more.

This isn’t therapy, but it’s the next best thing! If you’ve ever wished you could be a fly on the wall and listen to a team of Christian counselors thoughtfully address what you’re going through, this podcast was made for you.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Please seek independent medical or counseling support for personal health concerns.

New episodes every week. Visit withyouintheweeds.com to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and to access our small group study guides, free downloads, and other mental health resources.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Please seek independent medical or counseling support for personal health concerns.

Copyright: © All Rights Reserved

Latest Episodes:

Breaking the Cycle of Generational Trauma with Gina Birkemeier Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

As we near the end of our “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma” series we are covering the essential topic of generational trauma - a hidden force that shapes our beliefs, relationships, and sense of self. Our guest, Gina Birkemeier, a licensed professional counselor, author, and trauma specialist, joins us to explore how trauma patterns are passed down through generations and what it takes to break free.

Key takeaways in this episode:

The impact of inherited trauma and how it shapes your perceptions.
How to recognize patterns like shame and control, and the way dysfunction gets passed down through families.
What it takes to break the cycle and how to create a new, healthy legacy.
Why forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation and how it leads to freedom.
How you can shift family narratives and transform future generations.

In this interview with Austin, Gina shares personal insights from her book, Generations Deep: Unmasking Inherited Dysfunction and Trauma to Rewrite Our Stories Through Faith and Therapy, offering both hope and practical guidance for those ready to stand up against the forceful current of generational dysfunction.

To learn more you can visit ginabirkemeier.com or find Gina on Instagram @myoutloudvoice for more great content on this topic.

If you want to remember what you learned in this episode, and didn’t have time to take notes while listening, subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com to receive our weekly episode summary and to find our library of resources on all the topics we cover.

Your reviews and ratings help us reach more people so please leave a review and a 5-star rating!

If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who needs encouragement in their own healing journey and join the WYITW community on IG & FB @WithYouInTheWeeds

The Trauma of Child Loss Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

In this deeply moving episode, John Tinnin sits down with Kari Kaczan, author of A Light in Momentary Affliction, to discuss the profound grief of losing a child and the journey of navigating trauma through faith. Kari shares her heartbreaking yet hope-filled story of her son Christopher’s diagnosis with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare and terminal disease, and the emotional and spiritual challenges that followed.

With raw honesty, Kari recounts the moments of shock, despair, and wrestling with God as she walked through the unimaginable pain of watching her son slowly lose his abilities. She opens up about the loneliness of grief, the difficulty of making impossible medical decisions, and the isolating reality of being part of a “club no one wants to join.”

Yet, in the midst of deep sorrow, Kari found an anchor in her faith. She speaks about the power of surrender, choosing to bring Jesus into her pain, and how lament became her path to healing. The conversation touches on depression, emotional numbness, and the ways grief affects relationships, but ultimately points to the hope and presence of Christ in suffering.

Listen as John and Kari discuss:

The devastating reality of receiving a terminal diagnosis for a child.
How grief unfolds in layers—both the “big” loss and the small, compounding ones.
The challenge of making medical decisions when no clear path exists.
The emotional and relational impact of loss, including isolation and changes in friendships.
Why faith is not just a cliché but a sustaining force in the darkest moments.
The importance of honest, unfiltered prayers—even if they include shouting at God.

Check out the book A Light in Momentary Affliction by Kari Kaczan to learn more about how bringing Jesus into suffering can transform the way we endure pain.

Your reviews and ratings help us reach more people so please leave a review and a 5-star rating!

Connect with us on social media and sign up for our weekly newsletter:

The Trauma of Betrayal & Infidelity Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

“Sit down. I’ve got to tell you something…” What follows might be your worst nightmare as your spouse confesses their betrayal and infidelity.

Matthew & Joanna Raabsmith have lived through this themselves, and now they work with couples who are trying to rebuild their relationship after trust has been shattered. They have 15+ years of theological and counseling experience helping couples repair the damage that betrayal creates.

When you listen you’ll get a front row seat of what happens when couples first confess, what their ongoing counseling sessions look like, signs of growth (or lack of growth), and how you know when trust is being restored.

Whether you’ve experienced the trauma of betrayal, or you know someone/a couple who has, you’ll be thankful you took the time to listen to Matthew & Joanna.

You can check out their book Building True Intimacy: Creating a Connection That Stands the Test of Time or their website for free resources and to learn more.

Connect with us!

Are you a fan of WYITW? If so, please share this resource with a friend! Leave a review and a 5-star rating. Thanks for being here!

The Trauma of Racism with Pastor Derwin Gray Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Can the deep pain and division of racism ever be healed? And does the Christian faith play any role in the work of racial reconciliation?

Pastor Derwin Gray believes that if we rightly understand the message of grace through Jesus, we will see the image of God across all races and cultures, and embrace and promote a culture of love instead of a culture of hate.

In this special episode Pastor Derwin Gray of Transformation Church has a discussion with Shay and Lynn about the history of racism in America, its lasting impact, and the current need for ongoing reconciliation. Derwin’s book, How to Heal Our Racial Divide, proposes that “racial reconciliation is God’s idea”, and that the church should be a place that “isn’t colorblind, but color-blessed.”

This conversation covers topics like:

The significance of Martin Luther King Jr. and his powerful writings
The challenge of overcoming indifference and opposition to reconciliation
How racial trauma manifests in different generations
Teaching people to be "unoffendable in the gospel"
Encouragement for Christians to extend grace in difficult conversations.

Although the church should be a natural place for racial healing to occur, the reality is that barriers such as pride, fear, power and economics often prevent the church from taking the risk to love others when the cost seems too high. We appreciate Pastor Gray’s passion and insights on this important topic, as he calls us to see the beauty of diversity as part of God’s design and highlights the role we can play in helping people heal from racial trauma through empathy, compassion and understanding.

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

The Trauma of War Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

The residual trauma from war can have a lasting impact on veterans and their families. No one knows this better than Dan and Jo Slawski, founders of Guardian Hills Veterans Healing Center.

When Dan’s father returned from his service in World War II, he struggled to cope with the mental and emotional stress of post-war trauma. Dan experienced his father’s outbursts of rage and occasional disappearances as confusing and disruptive to family life. That didn’t deter Dan from joining the Air Force after college to help pay for his medical school, which was a positive life change for Dan and his wife Jo.

Since that time, Dan’s active military service as well as his experience caring for orthopedic patients opened his eyes to the post-traumatic stress that veterans live with every day. After hearing many stories from POW’s, veterans and family members living with veterans who were suffering both physically and mentally, Dan and Jo knew their calling was to help veterans be restored to health and wholeness.

In this eye-opening episode, Shay Roush interviews Dan and Jo to discuss their work with Guardian Hills Veterans Healing Center, a facility dedicated to helping veterans recover from the physical, emotional, and relational injuries they often face after service. Located in the beautiful country of northern Missouri, Guardian Hills provides resources and support for veterans struggling with trauma, including post-traumatic stress (PTS) and moral injury.

Many veterans don’t experience their first impact of post-traumatic stress until 11 years after service, and they often don’t have access to the resources needed for them to process the memories or stressors associated with their time in active duty. Their emotional and physical injuries are distressing, debilitating, and often lead to suicide as an alarming 17 veterans a day die by suicide around the country.

You will be inspired and encouraged as you hear the Slawskis' vision for Guardian Hills, and the transformations that are occuring in veterans lives on a daily basis (as captured in this video).

If you or someone you love could benefit from the services offered at Guardian Hills or you want to learn more about the programs and educational therapies they offer, visit the Guardian Hills website where you can also purchase tickets for the upcoming annual banquet and auction on Saturday, March 8th at Cooper’s Ridge Event Center.

For information about housing for veterans in Columbia, Missouri visit the Welcome Home website to learn about their vision for ending homelessness for veterans in our community.

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

How Does EMDR Help You Heal From Trauma? Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

There are several therapeutic interventions that can play a role in your recovery from trauma, and perhaps one of the most proven, effective and powerful methods is EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. But what does that mean and how does it work?

As part of our "Surviving and Thriving After Trauma" series, Austin brings in special guest Dr. Mark Pfuetze, an EMDR trained therapist and Covenant Seminary professor, to explain how the body stores trauma and how EMDR can help you manage distressing memories, experiences, and thoughts that haunt you, shame you, or pull you from the present back into the past.

After listening to this insightful interview, you will understand more about:

How trauma affects your brain and body
How EMDR works to repair those effects
What to look for in an EMDR therapist if you decide that’s for you

Online Christian Counseling Resource: Global Counseling Network

If you have a question for Dr. Pfuetze you can email him at: Mark.Pfuetze@covenantseminary.edu

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

Flipping the Script on Your Childhood Trauma Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever experienced a “complete and total loss” only to have it be flipped into a “complete and total life transformation”?

In this powerful episode of our “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma” series, Lynn Roush, LPC interviews her colleague and friend, Jules Lundberg, (trauma-informed PLPC & PhD student) who shares the compelling story of her journey as a trauma survivor and how she has worked hard to heal, thrive, and help others flip the script of their trauma.

Together, Lynn and Jules provide listeners with practical steps for rewriting the shameful narrative that emerges from childhood trauma and how to begin breaking generational patterns of sin and dysfunction.

Jules' story of resilience includes severe childhood abuse, domestic violence, divorce, infant loss, fostering and adoption. Lynn and Jules discuss:

The challenges of naming dysfunction in your family
The fear of being disconnected from love and belonging
How to recognize and discern leaving an abusive relationship
How healing happens through relationships with safe people
Understanding dissociation as a common response to childhood trauma
5 ways to flip the script on your childhood trauma

If you are wanting to rewrite the narrative of your life, this episode will offer insight, hope and practical steps to help you change your internal dialogue and experience the transformation that occurs when you receive God’s invitation to be transformed by his love and truth. We want you to have hope that you can survive and thrive after trauma and embrace your identity as a beloved child of God.

Bible Verse Highlight:

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

If you are in an abusive relationship and need support you can call the domestic abuse hotline: 1-800.799.SAFE (7233), or visit their website https://www.thehotline.org/

If you live in Columbia, Missouri, you can contact True North to receive education, counseling, and shelter from an abusive partner.

Connect with us!

Are you a fan of WYITW? If so, please share this resource with a friend! Leave a review and a 5-star rating. Thanks for being here!

What Parents Need to Know About Trauma Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Are you facing a baffling, frustrating and emotionally intense struggle with your child?

Do you question everything you’re doing as a parent because your best efforts don’t seem to be working to change your child’s misbehavior?

In this episode of our "Surviving and Thriving After Trauma" series, we tackle an increasingly important question: What do parents need to know about trauma?

Austin is joined by Kari Nietzel, a behavior analyst with over 14 years of experience working with families and children who have experienced trauma. Together, they explore how trauma impacts children, how it manifests in behavior, and how parents and caregivers can better understand and support their kids.

Austin and Kari discuss:

The difference between cultural perceptions and clinical definitions of trauma
Trauma behavior vs. normal behavior
The importance of understanding the "why" behind a child's behavior
Examples of trauma responses
Behavior as communication
Teaching kids (and adults!) appropriate ways to express needs and emotions
How to encourage parents and caregivers facing the challenge of parenting a child from trauma

Key Takeaways:

Trauma is complex and manifests differently in each child.
Behaviors are a form of communication that should be approached with curiosity.
Parents can learn to focus on their child’s needs and seek appropriate strategies to help them thrive.

We know you’ll be encouraged, comforted and equipped with parenting strategies through this conversation as you learn from Kari’s personal and clinical experiences.

Resources:

Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors by Robyn Gobell

The Connected Parent by Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls

Calm Parenting Podcast

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

Looking for Hope When Your Health Fails with Lori Ann Wood Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

In today’s episode, Lynn Roush, LPC, sits down with Lori Ann Wood, an inspiring author, speaker, and survivor of medical trauma. As part of our series on “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma,” we are delving into the challenges and lessons that come from facing health crises, and the shift that needs to occur from being a “fixer” to accepting that not everything in life can or will be solved.

When a trip to urgent care led to a 2 week stay in the ICU as a critical care patient, Lori Ann Wood’s life went from predictable to precarious. Being diagnosed with end stage heart failure with an enlarged heart functioning at only 6%, Lori Ann was faced with a health crisis that would test her faith with an uncertain future.

Lynn and Lori Ann discuss how medical crises disrupt not only your physical well-being but also create emotional, psychological and spiritual instability. When you receive a “forever diagnosis”, nothing seems normal anymore and everyone in the family is affected by the detour that occurs when you lose your health.

Lori Ann’s journey of receiving a life-altering diagnosis and how she processed the feelings of failure, guilt and shame that come with chronic illness, will encourage and comfort anyone who can relate to the struggle to find hope when your heart - or health - fails.

Divine Detour: The Path You’d Never Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted by Lori Ann Wood

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

How Do I Heal From Trauma? Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

The million dollar question our clients ask when it comes to trauma is: “How do I heal?”

In this episode, Austin, Lynn, and John continue their series, Surviving and Thriving After Trauma, with a deep dive into the key elements needed for healing.

Trauma is any experience that overwhelms your ability to cope on your own and can stem from events like divorce, abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, health crises, betrayal and more. However, it’s not just the event itself that is disruptive, but the lingering emotional and mental impact that makes healing difficult.

In this episode we cover key elements needed for healing:

Ongoing Safety
Self-Regulation skills
Connecting with safe people
Giving voice to your trauma
Dismantling false narratives
Engaging with your story in light of God’s love and truth

Although each person’s journey is unique, growth and recovery are possible with the right resources and a supportive community. This episode will guide you through how and why healing from trauma is possible, and provide the insight you need to move towards healing and hope.

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at withyouintheweeds@thecrossingchurch.com or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds.

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